Getting Started in Pattern Design: Tip #5 YOU CAN DO THIS!

Let me start off by saying thank you for letting me dive deeper into each of the Top 5 Tips that I provided to you in my free guide. I hope that you have found these longer posts about each tip both helpful and valuable as you embark on your surface pattern design journey.

As I wrap up this series with today’s blog post, the most important message I want to leave you with is: YOU CAN DO THIS!

After I got laid off from my fancy corporate job and needed to reinvent myself in my mid-50s, I struggled. I hadn’t learned new skills in a while and was in completely new territory building my own business and learning everything that’s involved with being your own boss and becoming a solo entrepreneur.

Here are my top recommendations to help you succeed in the surface pattern design world and reinforce that YOU CAN DO THIS!

Do Something Every Day

Progress comes from regular, consistent steps forward. Take your passion seriously and plan out time every day to work on some aspect of your craft. Set a timer and draw for 20 minutes. Dive back into that online course you signed up for and complete one of the lessons. Catch up on old blog posts that you didn’t have time to read or read another chapter in that fabulous book that always inspires you. Small incremental steps forward add up over time and make a huge difference in developing your skills and your confidence.

Zoom Out & Decide On Your Direction

When we are focused on the tactical steps of learning new skills, we sometimes forget to zoom out and reflect on the big picture. Remember to step back and ask yourself:

· What do you want to do with surface pattern design?

· What type of business do you want to create?

· What products do you want to sell?

These questions are essential to answer now and circle back to again and again to validate that you’ve pick a path that you love. Remember that as you make progress in your creative journey, your desires and goals may shift and change. That’s totally okay and quite normal. Go with it and continue to make progress in whatever direction you decide fits your needs.

Join An Encouraging And Supportive Community

It’s very important to find and join your “peeps”. A supportive and encouraging community that will help you when you’re feeling discouraged and cheer you on as you achieve each incremental success is critical. It’s fantastic to have both a virtual community in the form of a supportive Facebook group and an in-person community in the form of a co-working membership or a monthly membership. All of these will add that extra level of support and personal connection that we all seek and that makes a huge difference in helping us move forward.

Remember that I’m here for you! I’ve created a monthly membership called The Pattern Design Club which is specifically for surface pattern designers who need both instruction and support. Every month you’ll learn new skills and move forward towards your specific goals in the surface pattern design community. Here is a special offer for you. I hope you’ll join this incredible community.

It’s Never Too Late to Create

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